Interesting Questions-19

"Many religions, one body?"

Letter to the Editor:
GOD'S MESSAGE, January 2011, p.3

MY   UNDERSTANDING   OF   THE  teachings of the Bible is that all religions that believe in Christ, like the various Protestant groups to name  some, compose the Church of Christ mentioned in the Holy Scriptures.  Remember that this Church is also referred to by the Holy Scriptures as the "body" of Christ (Col. 1:18). The analogy is so purposive to indicate that as a literal body is made up of many parts, the Church  built  by  Christ, though only one,  is composed of many religious groups believing in Christ.

Ma. Cecilia Conception
Los Andes, Chile

 

Editor's reply:

To begin with, we are glad to know that you  too  believe  that Christ  built  only  one Church (Matt. 16:18) the name of which is Church of Christ (Acts 20:28, Lamsa Translation). Concerning this Church, the Bible moreover teaches that the true believers in Christ are baptized into this "one body'' (I Cor. 12:13) and that outside it, there is judgment (I Cor. 5:12-13)

The Bible however negates the opinion that all religious organizations compose this singular Church of Christ. Proclaiming one of the characteristics of this body or Church of Christ, Apostle Paul stated, thus:

"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." (Eph. 4:4-6, New King James Version)

Notice the unity  in the one Church— members share "one hope of [their] calling", believe in "one God/' receive "one baptism. and uphold "one" or the same "faith" Not allowing the members of the one true Church to be divided especially in faith, the Bible prescribes, "there should be no schism in the body" (I Cor. 12:25,Ibid)

that there should be no schism in the body, but [that] the members should have the same care for one another. (1 Corinthians 12:25, NKJV)

This important quality of the Church can hardly be seen among various Protestant groups and other Christian-professing religions when taken as a whole. Viewed collectively, these religious organizations cannot be said to be truly united in faith and religious convictions. Though their members may all be professing faith in Christ, they nonetheless uphold different—and oftentimes opposing—creeds, set of doctrines, biblical  interpretations, and religious   practices.   Concerning   the   belief about God, for instance, some denominations teach that Christ and the Father are one and the same, while others uphold that Christ is distinct  from  the Father.  Demonstrating that these religions do not have one or the same mode of baptism, some do immersion while others,  pouring (effusion),   and   still   others, sprinkling (aspersion).   Some   churches  even bestow baptism on the infants, and worse, on the dead. As these religions make contradicting doctrinal claims, they cannot be all true, much less compose the true Church of Christ. 

The Bible itself clarifies for us the composition of the Church of Christ In the one body or Church, what are many are the members not the organizations:

"Christ is like a single body, which has many parts; it is still one body even though it is made up of different parts. In the same way, all of us, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether slaves or free, have been baptized into the one body by the same Spirit, and we have all been given the one Spirit to drink."(I Cor. 12:12-13,   Today's English Version)

Take note that the "Jews or Gentiles" and "slaves or free'' who are referred to as "many parts" of the body in the verses were the members of the Church of Christ during the apostles' time. Therefore,   the "many parts"  composing the body or Church refer to the "many members" and not to "many religious groups" Then, again,   these members,  though   many,   have one hope and one faith, complimenting one another as one body. As Apostle Paul further elucidated:

"For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another" (Rom. 12:4-5, NKJV)

"Now indeed" as the Holy Scriptures itself concludes, "there are many members, yet one body." (I Cor. 12:20, tbid.)

But now indeed [there are] many members, yet one body. (1 Corinthians 12:20, NKJV)

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